Christian music icon Michael Tait, who is known for his singing roles in DC Talk, Newsboys, and Tait, has been accused of grooming and sexually assaulting three men in their early 20s between 2004 and 2014.
Editor’s note: This article refers to reports of alleged sexual assault that some readers might find triggering and/or disturbing.
The alleged assaults took place during Tait’s stint with Newsboys. On Jan. 16, Tait surprised the Christian music world by announcing that he was leaving the band after 15 years.
Tait, 59, became a Christian household name after the platinum success of his rap/rock group, DC Talk, which also featured artists TobyMac and Kevin Max. Apart from reuniting for shows in 2017 and 2019 on the Jesus Freak Cruise, DC Talk played its final shows in 2000 and hasn’t released an album in over 22 years.
Tait won multiple Grammy and Dove Awards as a member of DC Talk, and he was nominated for multiple Dove Awards as a member of Newsboys.
Christian Musician Claims Tait Sexually Massaged His Butt Without Consent
The alleged abuse was first reported by The Roys Report (TRR) on Wednesday night and provided details gathered during a two-and-a-half-year investigation.
The report states that all three men were 22 years old at the time of alleged incidents. Two of them were Christian musicians playing in bands who were opening for the Newsboys on a tour. The other was a Newsboys crew member. All three have chosen to remain anonymous at this time.
One of Tait’s accusers, whom TRR identifies as “Phillip,” alleges that Tait assaulted him by putting his finger in his anal region following a nonconsensual massage.
Phillip was a member of a successful worship band and a “massive DC Talk fan.” He says he first met Tait while touring in 2004. After Phillip shared some of his new solo music with Tait, the “Jesus Freak” singer exchanged numbers with Phillip and the two remained in contact through text messages.
Tait allegedly invited Phillip to stay at his house in Nashville, Tennessee, for a “bros” weekend. Phillip told TRR, “(I’m) 22 and I had a lot of downtime when I’m not on the road. I would probably do that for, like a regular friend, but a new friend that was in one of your favorite bands? Of course, I’m gonna go hang out.”
“I did that twice, and both hangs were pretty similar, just a bunch of bros drinking and playing darts and just being silly,” Phillip said.
During a second visit, Phillip says he remembers the presence of “lots of beer and cigarettes” but felt comfortable among Tait and Tait’s friends due to his conviction to remain sober.
One night during his visit, Phillip claims that they all went skinny dipping in Tait’s hot tub. “Everyone just starts shucking off their pants and jumping in,” Philip said. “And I was like, ‘Oh, wow, they’re actually doing it?’ I’m the new guy, and I’m not very shy about that stuff. So, I did it too, and hopped in.”
.jpg){kind=link}
